


Bradbury's Jar Prompt Responses

by Redbird (TheCondorG2)



Category: Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman & Related Fandoms, Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman | Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
Genre: Action/Adventure, Challenge Response, Drama, Explicit Language, Humor, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Multi, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-03-23 13:25:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 12,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13788678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCondorG2/pseuds/Redbird
Summary: My responses to the weekly Bradbury's Jar Prompt Challenges on Gatchamania.





	1. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #53 - Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jinpei's got a secret....

Ryu walked casually through Utoland's largest shopping mall, enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday season.  He loved the holidays;  the bright lights, the festivities. Not to mention smell of the spice cakes and pies that were found everywhere around Christmas.

But most of all he loved the time he got to spend with his family. Well.. _both_ families.

The mall was crowded, people bustled here and there with large bags in tow.  Little kids ran wide circles around their parents, a shop owner handed out free sugar cookies to lure people into their store. Ryu even passed a businessman wearing a Santa hat as he hurried along, his briefcase in hand.  Christmas music played over the loudspeakers and could barely be heard above the din of the shoppers.

Gazing at the sparkling wonder that was the mall at Christmas , he stopped as he saw a line of people cutting through the crowd.  The line was getting longer by the minute.  As he drew closer he saw that it was the line for children to meet Santa, so they could tell him what presents they wanted for the holiday.  All the children were dressed in their best, wearing shiny shoes, and smart wool caps.

It was then that he noticed another line, separate from the other. It was another group of children, lined up against a wall. In the back of his mind he thought they were pretty miserable looking. They were thin and scraggly, wearing patched clothes that had seen better days.  They were surrounded by serious faced adults in sensible clothing, and clunky shoes, who watched over them with sharp eyes.

He frowned as the line began moving and kids were ushered through an open door 50 feet away from where they had been standing.

Curious, Ryu followed the line of kids and stood in the doorway, peeking in.

It was a party of some sort. Long tables with red and green decorations and folding chairs were set up around the room.  Plastic plates and cups were lined up and down their length. Slightly tinny sounding Christmas music played from hidden speakers. Lights hung from the ceiling and there was even a small Christmas tree with piles presents placed beneath it.

Next to the tree , seated in a big chair was Santa, who was talking to each little boy and girl that came up to sit on his lap.

And next to Santa was an elf. An elf wearing a green belted  tunic with furry white cuffs, as well as tights and curly toed shoes. On his head sat a red hat with a tassel and a bell hanging off the end.

But the hair underneath the hat , could not be hidden.

Could not be tamed.

And it stuck out at all angles, haphazardly, as if someone had gotten an electric shock.

When Ryu saw the elf's face he was certain.

It was Jinpei.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there but Ryu watched in amazement as Jinpei handed out presents to the children and joked around with them, pulling goofy faces that made them giggle and smile. He helped them open some of the boxes to their toys and placed batteries in the ones that needed it. He never once snapped at the kids nor said anything snarky that would make them cry.

Quietly, so as not to draw attention to himself, he backed away from the door. He found a nearby bench and sat, grateful for a little rest.  And he waited.

After about an hour the little kids began filing out of the room, their faces full of color and excitement, clutching their toys to their chests and talking loudly amongst themselves. The serious adults herded them through the mall, with crisp efficiency, every now and then 'shushing' them.

When it seemed they had all cleared out, Ryu rose from the bench and walked over to the doorway again. He collided with someone.

It was Jinpei, still wearing his elf costume and clutching his civvies in his hand.

The youngster's eyes grew big, and he blushed swallowing audibly, staring at the floor.

"So this is where you been disappearing each weekend? Jun has been so angry with you!" Ryu told him.  He paused. "Wait.  Does Jun _know_ you're here Jinpei? Or Dr. Nambu?"

Surely Jun wouldn't be angry with Jinpei if she knew what he had been doing!

"No! And don't you _dare_ tell them."

Ryu was taken aback. "Why not?"

Before Jinpei could answer.......

"Are you here to pick up our littlest elf?" an elderly lady wearing a red sweater set and rhinestone cat's eye glasses asked him.

"Ummmm....yes. " he stammered, taken aback. "Yes I am."

"Oh, he's been such a big help to us! He's been here early in the morning to help us set up, he entertains the children as they open their gifts. And he even donated some presents himself." She beamed at Jinpei. "We wished all our helpers were ...well...so helpful!"

She lay a hand on Jinpei's shoulder, and told him she hoped they saw him again next year.

"Jinpei," Ryu said softly, "Why....."

"Those kids Ryu. They're from the local orphanage." he said sadly. " ** _I_** was an orphan. I know what it's like not have _anything_ during Christmas. No presents, no toys... nothing." He paused. "No family...." He hung his head. "At least you have a family Ryu. Before Jun took me in ....me....I had nothing..."

"Does Santa's Secret Elf need a ride back to the 'J'? " he asked quietly, staring at the top of the boy's head.

"Yeah........"

"Come on short stuff," Ryu said, placing a warm hand on Jinpei's shoulder. "Let's go."

 


	2. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #90 - Consumed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poker Game aftermath...

His first thought was:  His shoulder hurt.

The second: His neck hurt.

Hell, _everything_ hurt.

_What time was it? Where the hell was he?_

Head resting on one of his arms, he could feel the bright sun on his face, and opened one eye cautiously.

_Toobrighttoobright!_ his minds shouted as said eye closed again. His head felt like it was loaded with bricks, his mouth like cotton.

Biting back a groan, and turning his pounding head the opposite direction, he felt his stomach lurch.

Pressing his lips together, he tried once more to open his eyes. He was met with something green. Tall and green.  And brown.  Bottles. Namely, beer bottles.

Empty ones. A tabletop full of them, standing sentinel. Some of them were like felled trees, laying on their side.

_Dead soldiers,_ as Joe would say.

_Joe. Where was he?_

This was _his_ fault.

Everything was slowly coming back to him. It had been Joe's idea to have a "guys night", to get them together to play cards at his place by the airstrip.  For once they were _all_ pretty much broke, so it sounded like a good idea at the time.

Steeling himself, Ken picked his head up from the table, where he had presumably passed out. Slowly he levered his upper body away from the tabletop, nearly jumping out of his skin when his arm inadvertently knocked one of the bottles off the table, and sent it crashing to the floor.

Blinking his eyes, he saw an empty pizza box lay on the floor next to his chair. It was now covered with shards of the bottle that had broken.

Just how much beer had they consumed? He found he didn't want to know.

He winced once more as the sun dazzled his eyes, and lifted a hand to shade them against the light that was streaming in through one of the curtainless windows.

Ryu was currently sprawled out in the rickety tan lounge chair on the other side of the room, head slumped on his shoulder. His arms hung down on either side of the chair, one hand still clutching a beer bottle, his legs stuck out on front of him.  He was missing a shoe and was snoring for all he was worth.

The television was still on, but the screen was filled with snow, the station having gone off the air some hours ago. Another beer bottle sat on top of it, perilously close to the edge of the set.

An empty bag of corn chips and another pizza box, this one with a few cold  slices left in it, lay on the coffee table where they had been playing cards.  Said playing cards and plastic poker chips were scattered over its surface and all over the floor in colorful piles.

Ken's gaze fell to the couch, where Joe (damn him) was sleeping, one leg hanging off the couch and propped up on the coffee table. His were arms wrapped around one of the large throw pillows Jun had given him to spruce up the place.  It was now covered with greasy potato chip stains.

Biting back a laugh (or was it a sob), at the thought of having to clean up  and thinking he should have gone to the movies with Jun and Junpei, Ken let his head fall back onto the table and contemplated having another beer.

 


	3. Bradbury's Jar Prompt # 92 - Scruff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe faces one of his greatest foes...

_What had he gotten himself into?_

He stared into large brown eyes that brimmed over with unadulterated affection.

Man, this was worse than anything he had ever faced before! Even a Galactor mecha could not compare.

"You can't stay here!"  he said trying to sound gruff.

_Damn!_

Those brown eyes just continued to smile at him.

Leaning down, Joe picked up the puppy by the scruff of its neck,  the  other hand supporting its bottom and brought it up to eye level.

He fixed the animal with his best steely Condor stare, but found himself failing.

It was then that a warm pink tongue licked Joe's nose.

He sighed and sat down on the bed in defeat, as the puppy rained doggy kisses all over his face.


	4. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #94 - Rogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprised this hasn't happened before....

"What the hell...?" Ryu uttered under his breath, gripping the controls of the God Phoenix tight, eyes glued to the view screen.  
  
Ken watched in horror as the missile sped through the air towards the city of New Jork.  
  
He started to turn to their gunner, just as Jinpei let out a chilling shout.  
  
"There goes another one aniki!"  
  
Ken's head whipped back towards the view screen just in time to see another rogue Bird Missile streaking through the air, right behind the first one. It left a fiery trail in the night sky, not unlike a the bright tail of a Phoenix.  
  
"What the _fuck_ is going on Joe!?" he shouted angrily, over his shoulder.  
  
"I don't know!" Joe shouted back hotly, slamming his fist against his console in frustration. "The firing button is stuck! I can't stop the missiles from launching!"


	5. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #96 - Spook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One in a series of prompt responses that involves Jinpei's apparent issues with reading comprehension. (It somehow became a "thing" with prompt responses on Gatchamania)

"Jinpei, what is that?" Jun questioned from behind the bar, spying a paper shopping bag on one of tables in the Snack J.

"It's my costume, sis!" Jinpei exclaimed excitedly, pulling the bag off the table and bringing it over, swinging it by his side.

"Costume for what?"  she asked curiously. "Aren't you too old to be 'trick or treating' "? She shot him an admonishing look, as she wiped out a dirty glass.

"Huh? No, not for 'trick or treating'!" he dug into his pocket, and pulled out a crumpled bit of brightly colored  paper. Grinning madly he shoved it in her direction, indicating she should take it. "There's a party at the recreation center downtown!"

Jun carefully unfolded it atop the bar, smoothing the paper down with her hand.

"Oh a Halloween Party!" she laughed, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah! Wanna see what I bought?" he asked, hand already disappearing into the bag. "I'm going to win the 'Best Costume' contest for sure!"

Jun frowned as Jinpei pulled out a set of rubber pointed elf-like ears, a light blue shirt emblazoned with a shiny silver inverted "V" on the left breast, and a pair of black pants.

He stood there beaming at her, obviously thrilled with his purchase.

"Well?" he urged. "What do you think?"

Confused, she stared down at the party flyer again. It read:  "Come as your favorite spook!  Enter our 'Best Costume Contest' and win a prize!"

Jun squashed down the laughter rising in her throat. Jinpei was so happy with his costume, she just didn't have the heart to tell him.

Clearing her throat, she handed the flyer back to him.

"I'm sure you'll be the talk of the party, Jinpei."

 


	6. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #97 - Doppelganger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the alternate Hinotori toy model version of the God-Phoenix. I've often thought of making this into an actual story.....

The blast came out of nowhere. The Phoenix shook violently, listing from side to side. Ryu strained to control the ship, beads of sweat appeared on his brow.

"Aniki! What....what  is that?" Jinpei cried pointing at the viewscreen from his station.

Ken frowned and warily drew closer to it, staring up at it.

A frission of fear lanced through him, sending a chill up his spine.

He could feel Joe, now standing behind him, staring over his shoulder, looking at the hideous monstrosity before them.

As they all were.

His second swore, pounding one fist into his opposite palm.

"How...how is that ...possible?" Jun exclaimed, horrified, hand covering her mouth.

"Galactor...." Ken spat angrily.

There in front of them all, was a ship. _Their_ ship to be exact.

It was red instead of blue, and yellow pointing instead of red, but it was the God Phoenix.

A clone. An evil twin.

"A doppelganger!" Joe growled. "Damned Berg Katse!"


	7. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #99 - Joint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not what you think....

Pulling up the collar of his leather jacket against the cold rain while skirting a puddle, Joe walked up to the door of the Snack J. He was about to yank open the door when he paused for a moment, listening.  
  
He frowned, the sound of loud music and laughter greeting his ears. He glanced at the clock on the building across the street. It was only 9:00pm, not that late for a Saturday night.  
  
Intrigued, he slowly pushed open the door with his shoulder and was amazed at the sight before him.  
  
The place was packed to the gills with customers and it was standing room only, that is, if you could find a place to stand. A mass of patrons were gathered at the bar, and he saw Jun hastily serving drinks. Joe tried to catch her eye, but she was just too busy to notice. One of the waitresses, who was very short, was trying to make her way through the crowd with a tray of orders hoisted above her head. It seemed she had her work cut out for her for the evening as all of the tables were taken.  
  
The jukebox against the far wall was blaring out a disco song, multicolored lights swirled and flashed from the ceiling, bathing everyone and everything with crazy spots. They made Joe's eyes swim and he blinked a few times to clear his vision. Dozens of bodies gyrated on the small dance floor, and people were actually dancing between the tables.  
  
What the hell was going on? he thought as someone shoved past him with a drink in their hand.  
  
Jun's joint was jumpin'.


	8. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #100 - Hundred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinpei brings a new friend home...

It was late Sunday afternoon when Jinpei slowly opened the back door to the Snack J. Peeking into the kitchen first to make sure no one was there, he pulled the door wider and squeezed though, careful not to make any noise. 

When he was standing in the middle of the darkened kitchen alone, he stared down into the small cardboard box in his hands.

"It's gonna be okay." he whispered softly. "I'm gonna take care of you." 

Walking on silent feet, he pushed open the swinging door that lead into the dining area of the Snack. He paused again, listening. 

Everything was quiet.  The only thing that greeted him was silence.

He bit his lip, a grin beginning to spread across his face.

 _Perfect! Sis must be out!_

A spring in his step, he walked towards the stairs, fingers clutched around the little box. 

“Jinpei?”

Uh-oh....

Freezing on the spot, eyes growing wide, he looked over his shoulder. 

“Jinpei is that you?” Jun called as she emerged from the small storeroom towards the front of the bar.

He quickly thrust the box behind his back, as Jun dumped a dusty carton on top of the bar.

“There you are! I’ve been wondering where you’ve gotten to. I need your help wi....”

She stopped, staring at him.

Jinpei couldn’t help but drop his gaze to the floor, suddenly very interested in the worn tile.

Her sharp green eyes narrowed, studying him.

“What are you doing?”

“I...”

She rolled her eyes. “What are you hiding behind your back?”

“Nothing...”

Pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, Jun came around the bar to stand in front of him.

“Let me see...”

Jinpei, slowly raised his eyes to hers, a guilty look creeping into them before he looked away again 

Jun smacked her hand down hard atop the bar, the noise making him jump.

"Jinpei, I've told you a hundred times: No animals in the house. No bugs in the house!"

“But sis!” he cried, daring to look up at her.

“No buts!” Jun pointed at the door and stamped her foot. “Out!”

But Jinpei stood there, staring at Jun. His lower lip began to tremble, and his eyes filled with tears.

“No!” he said voice breaking. “I won’t.”

Her mouth dropped open with shock.

Jinpei wiped at his nose which began to run.

“Sis, please...” he begged, bringing the box out from behind his back and holding it out to her.

Peering into box, the Jun was about to once more adamantly state he was to take whatever it contained back outside.

But she didn’t, the words sticking in her throat.

Inside the box Jinpei held, was a bird.

“It’s a swallow.” He told her tearfully. “Its wing is broken.”

He looked up at her with watery eyes, tears coming harder now.

“There were these kids...they were kicking at it. It was trying to get away but it couldn’t...” he sobbed trying to stifle a hiccup. “I have to help it sis. It’s a swallow like me...”

“Jinpei,” she said softly, reaching out for him, but he flinched away from her.

“I can fix it, like Hakase fixed us.” he snuffled. “We were broken when we came here, but he helped me to fly.”

Staring down at the box, she felt a wave of understanding.

“Jinpei..”

“No, you’re not taking it away from me!” he cried, pulling the box closer to his chest.

“Jinpei!” Jun said more forcefully, hands on his shoulders.

He glanced mistrustfully at her with reddened eyes.

“Jinpei, I have some soft cotton wadding you can place in the box. It will help keep the bird warm.”

The words were no sooner out of her mouth and Jinpei was hugging her, his tear stained face pressed into her side.

Jun cleared her throat, gently pulling away from him.

“Go on,” she told him quietly. “Take it upstairs....”

 


	9. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #101 - Advertising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second in a series of prompt responses that revolve around Jinpei and his reading comprehension issues....

Jun looked up, startled, as Jinpei suddenly barreled through the front door of the Snack J. He was holding a newspaper and a small envelope in his hand, eyes bright with excitement.

"Well, what's got you so chipper this morning?" Jun asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Sis, I won a contest!" he crowed while dancing a little jig. "I've never won anything before in my life!"

"A contest? Really? What did you win?"

He slid the newspaper across the counter to her, and placed the envelope next to it.

"I won tickets to see Oprah!"

Jun rolled her eyes as she began wiping down the counter. For some reason unknown to her, Jinpei loved watching the talk show host and her myriad of  dysfunctional guests, baring all their personal problems on television for the entire world to see.

"Two weeks ago the city paper had a listing for the contest, and I entered it!" His grin was large enough that it almost split his head in half. "The tickets were donated by a big advertising agency, they're supposed to be good seats too!"

But he paused a moment, enthusiasm momentarily quelled, and scratched his head.

"What I don't understand is why it states I need to "dress formal" just to attend the show."

"What?" Jun frowned, glancing up from her work. "That can't be right."

"It is! Here, look...."

Jinpei turned the newspaper to a page with the contest details and Jun tugged it closer, studying it carefully.

She wasn't sure what to say. The large woman with the braids and the horned helmet should have been a dead giveaway, but...this was Jinpei she was talking about.

"Ummmm, Jinpei." she said, trying to bite back a laugh. "You didn't win tickets to see Oprah."

She carefully spread the newspaper open across the bar, turning it around to face him, and pointed to the advertisement with her finger.

"You won tickets to the OPERA."

Jun chuckled as his face fell, and he kicked the stool in front of him.

"Oh maaaannnn." he complained. "What do I want to go to an opera for?"

Jun straightened up, and dusted off her apron.

"Well, you could take me! I want to go. Those are expensive tickets!"

"Great, stuck at a dumb opera with my sister..." Jinpei moaned, collapsing onto a stool and resting his head onto this folded arms.

"Hey! It wouldn't hurt you to be exposed to a little culture!" she swatted at him with her wet cleaning rag. "And get your head off my clean counter!"

 

 


	10. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #101- Advertising (take two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe goes shopping with Jun....

The whole thing was a racket, he thought humorously as he flicked at a row of pink sparkly brassieres, with his finger. He watched as they lazily swayed to and fro on their displays, before coming to a stop. Expensive, packaged sex on plastic hangers.

Joe sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, resigning himself to the beige and white striped chair that sat in the corner of the store. He would have waited outside, except for the group of proselytizers that had taken up residence in front of the establishment, touting that God could save your soul, if you would let him.

Why Jun had to drag him in here was beyond him.  It was supposed to be a quick run to the mall, that was it. They had all been hanging out at the Snack J that afternoon. Ryu and Jinpei were upstairs watching a horror movie, and Ken was engrossed with writing up mission reports in one of the corner booths, stacks of papers set in neat piles across the table. It was cold and had been raining hard, and she hadn't wanted to take her motorcycle out on the road. When she asked him if he would give her a lift, he shrugged and mumbled a  "sure" around a mouthful of cheeseburger.

It had been dead at the Snack and he needed some air anyway.

He was beginning to regret his decision, considering Jun had been in the dressing room for the better part of an hour. Just how long did it take a woman to try on a few goddamned bras? For God sake he knew they came off fast enough, that was for sure.

He should have waited in the car like he initially planned, but no, she insisted he come inside. That it was stupid he sit in the car, when it was warmer in the mall. And damn him, he had acquiesced.

Joe absently stared at a black and purple lace, gel filled push-up and closed his eyes. He was surrounded by padded bras, skimpy thongs and drawers full of stockings. And the store reeked of some noxious powdery  scent that he supposed someone thought smelled good. His nose itched and he was sure he was going to sneeze. He needed to get out of here, and soon.

Besides, being around all these instruments of seduction was beginning to turn him on; imagining a tall studious brunette in that dark blue slip, and a tanned sunny blonde surfer girl type in the silver camisole.

Growing antsy, he stood up and began to pace. He glanced at the clock on the wall by the cash registers; how much longer was Jun going to be?

While he didn't begrudge women buying pretty underwear (especially if he benefited from it), a small part of him couldn't help but think the business of push-up's and padded "this and that", was...well...misleading.

Kind of like promoting false advertising. Like "blammo" get past all the wrapping and trappings, and you find out there's less there then what you expected.

 Joe was about to stalk back to the chair again, when the thought he heard someone calling his name. He frowned, and craned his neck over the sea of clothing racks. Ah, there towards the left side of the store he could see a pale hand waving in midair.

Winding his way quickly through the store, he came upon the changing booths breathing a sigh of relief.

"Jun, are you ready to go?" he asked, praying the answer was yes.

"No!" came her reply, and a bra smacked him in the head as she tossed it over the top of the changing room door. "Get me this in another size.."

He plucked the garment off his head. It was a fragile looking red lace bra, that looked like it would tear if you stared at it too hard. Frantically he glanced around. There were no salespeople to be seen. Why did he feel like he was on candid camera or something?

"Uh....Jun I can't find a sales girl...."

"Just get me a bigger size Joe, you don't need a sales girl...." she snapped."They're by the front of the store."

Mouth in a firm line, he cut a path towards the front of the store. He scanned the racks quickly, and to his relief found the one Jun wanted almost immediately.  Flipping size tags over and fumbling among the hangers, he yanked one of them free, and hastily headed back the way he came.

"Jun, I have it."

Searching fingers reached over the top of the door, and he stuffed it into her hand.

After a moment or two of waiting, he asked her again, if she was ready to leave.

"Shit!" she cried. "I can't get this thing off! It's caught on the back of my shirt..."

"Oh for God sake!" he murmured impatiently, just wanting to leave already. "Open the damned door Jun."

"Like hell I will...!" she huffed. He could see her crossing her arms in his minds eye, and despite his mood, it made him want to smile.

"Gimme a break Jun. It's not like I haven't seen your underwear before..."

 _Oh, I shouldn't have said that,_ he immediately thought, flinching internally.

A frustrated growl emanated from inside the changing room, and the door flew open almost smacking him in the head. He quickly stepped inside and closed over the door behind him. Jun was standing with her back towards him, and he could see the embarrassment in her face reflected by the mirror in front of her.

"The hooks are caught in the sweater I was trying on as well..." she told him. " I can't reach them..."

Upon closer inspection, sure enough she had missed one of the flimsy hooks and it twisted, burying itself into the knit of the sweater. He had trouble trying to free it from the fabric, his larger fingers unable to grasp it. Plus he was distracted by the very pale skin of Jun's back that was presented to him.

"It's not budging.." he told her. "It's stuck, but good." He was about to continue, to tell her if he pulled on it the sweater would probably rip, when Jun suddenly pulled her arms out of her sweater from underneath.  Before he could move, she pulled the top over her head, leaving her only clad in the flimsy red lace bra and jeans.

The first thought that ran through his mind was that, no, Jun definitely did not need a padded bra.

 

 


	11. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #102 - Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe realizes things aren't always doom and gloom

Joe sighed contentedly, comfortably ensconced in the overstuffed armchair in the corner of Jun's apartment above the Snack.  A small Christmas tree sat in the in far corner, strung with blinking colored lights and sparkling ornaments--not to mention a shining star at the very top. They had all helped Jun drag it out of storage and set it up a few weeks ago, after Thanksgiving.

He bit back a yawn, it was late morning and he was beat. It was sleeting outside, the ice rasping eerily against the window pane next to him. However, it was warm inside, the mood jolly and light. He could hear Jun puttering around in the small galley kitchen, where surprisingly good smells seemed to originate. Joe watched with amusement as Jinpei, wearing a red and white Santa hat with his hair sticking out wildly from under it,  excitedly tore open the box to his new video game system. The lot of them had pooled their money and bought him the system and a few games for Christmas.

Ryu helped Jinpei clear away the remains of the wrapping paper that littered the carpeting, smooshing it all up into a large ball and stuffing it onto a garbage bag Jun had left there for that purpose. Ken emerged from the kitchen with a large tray of almond crescent cookies, gingerbread and mint chocolate chip cookies.

Ken eyed the two of them, trying not to step on hands or trip over their feet, and to his surprise walked over to him and offered him the tray. He had white sugar or something similar smeared across one cheek.

Joe reached out to take a piece of the gingerbread, then paused, his fingers hovering above a square, eyes wary.

"Did Jun make this?" he questioned, whispering to Ken.

"No, Aniki and I did, yesterday afternoon!" Jinpei exclaimed as Ryu helped him run cables to the back of the television.

Joe raised an eyebrow at Ken, who flushed a little.

"Yeah, we made them yesterday." he confirmed in a somewhat sheepish voice.

Joe snickered, earning him a punch in the arm from Ken. But it was all in good fun.

Ken slid the tray onto the small coffee table they had shoved out of the way, dusting off his hands on his jeans and flopped onto the couch.

Joe chewed thoughtfully on the confection, and bit back another yawn. He could feel sleep calling out to him. Maybe if he shut his eyes for a few minutes........

A scream split the air.

His eyes suddenly snapped open, body tensed for action, when he realized he must have dozed off for a moment or two.  That shout came from Jinpei, he could see the kids fist pumping the air, apparently winning whatever game they had been playing . 

"I want a rematch!" Ryu joked, poking the kid in the arm.

"You're still gonna lose!" Jinpei laughed, sticking out his tongue.

 Ryu and Jinpei began playing a new game, graphics flashing across the TV. Ken was stretched out on Jun's small couch, crumbs of almond cookies, scattered across his shirt.  In true Gatchaman form, he shouted out instructions to Ryu, that Jinpei was whipping his butt; then grew frustrated when Ryu told him he wasn't being helpful. With lightening speed Ken grabbed the controller out of Ryu's hand, almost sliding off the couch in the process.

"You're gonna get it now kid!" Ryu laughed, as Jinepi concentrated on fending off Ken's virtual attack.

"Ken? I could use a hand in here!" Jun called from the kitchen.

"I'm a bit busy right now Jun!" he called back to her, brows knit together, concentrating on the video game.

Joe slowly levered himself out of the armchair, as Ryu started to rise from the floor. He made a motion indicating he should stay and enjoy the game, that he would go instead.

He quickly sidestepped the wires from the game console, and growled at Jinpei when he told him he was blocking his view of the TV.

"Yeah, yeah...." Joe drawled, ruffling Jinpei's hair as he passed, because he knew it annoyed the kid.

Rolling his shoulders, and scratching his head absently, he entered the kitchen to find Jun on a step stool, apparently searching for a bag of hidden marshmallows.

"Need a hand Junie?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise, laughing. She had a blue Christmas bow stuck to her shirt, right above her heart.  "Joe! Can you get me a bunch of those really tall mugs from that cabinet?" He followed her pointing finger, and reached deep inside it and pulled out the large red and green striped mugs.

Thinking they were a little dusty, he wiped them out with a damp paper towel, and left them on the counter.  Jun had come down from the stool and left the open bag on mini-marshmallows there, and he grabbed a few.

"Hey!" she laughed, turning around and rapping his hand lightly with a large spoon. "Save some of those for the hot chocolate!"

"Yes, ma'am." Joe told her in mock seriousness, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He watched as Jun poured out steaming hot chocolate into each mug, and stuck a peppermint stick in each one.

Jun poured a dollop of milk into a mug, then lifted it to her lips carefully, taste-testing it.  A thoughtful look crossed her face, and she licked her lips, declaring it perfect.

It was then that he caught Jun looking at him with an odd glint to her eye. Why did he suddenly feel as if he was standing in front of her stark naked?

She cleared her throat, and leaned close to him. He could smell her perfume, mixing with spices from the kitchen. It was a heady combination, to say the least.

"You do realize where you're standing right now, don't you?"

A frantic, puzzled look crossed his features. "I'm in your kitc...."

He stopped in mid sentence, then slowly glanced up at the ceiling.

Yup.

Mistletoe.

Before he knew it, Jun stood up on her toes, and pressed herself against him. Her hands snaked into his tousled hair, and he felt her warm lips against his. Gently pressing at the corner of his mouth, sucking at his bottom lip. He couldn't help but wrap his arms about her in turn, not thinking of the others just steps away in the living room. She was warm and alive in his embrace, and she tasted of chocolate and mint.

It was too soon when Jun gently disengaged herself, but stopped to cup his face in her hands.

"Joe" she said quietly, a serious tone to her voice, green eyes gazing into his grey ones. "Merry Christmas."

Still in a daze, he watched as she gathered the tray of hot chocolate, marshmallows and whipped cream,  balancing it on the crook of her elbow. As she passed him, she shoved a mug at him and walked out of the kitchen without a backward glance.

"Hey! Who wants hot chocolate with marshmallows!" Joe could hear her shout over the din.

Joe stood in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the frame, just observing the antics in the living room. The mug of hot chocolate Jun had shoved at him, warming his hands.  Ryu shoved Jinpei away from him, the youngster sprawled out on the floor, arms and legs akimbo, laughing so hard he was snorting. Ken hanging half off the couch, a mug in one hand, and rolling his eyes at the other two, as Jun passed him the tray of cookies again. Jun who was setting the tray back down again, telling them if they spilled anything on the carpet that they were cleaning it up themselves.

A pillow from the couch suddenly smacked him in the face, bringing him back to the present. He could hear a cackle of laughter, and picked up the offending throw pillow to see Jun laughing at him from behind her hand.

"You are gonna get it!" he told her, a grin spreading across his face as he set his mug down on a bookcase and stalked across the room.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" Jinpei yelled, grabbing another pillow and smacking Ken across the head with it.  Ryu held an round orange neck pillow in both hands and was trying to beat Jinpei senseless with it.

Ken shouted out when Jun tried to hide behind him, as Joe snacked her across the butt with the pillow that had been thrown at him. Ken wound up falling off the couch and onto the floor, Joe almost stepping on his face.  Jun snatched Jinpei's pillow from him, and tried to beat Joe off but it wasn't working.

Laughter, shouting and veiled threats of bodily harm filled the room.

While all this was going on, in the back of his mind,  Joe realized he was fortunate. He had a place to sleep, good food, and friends. No that wasn't right. He had family.

People who cared about him.

It was a gift.

 

 


	12. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #103 - Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken's thoughts on his father, Kentaro

He couldn't breathe.  The sound of a muffled voice, of deep laughter came from far away. A burning band began to tighten around his chest and a leaden weight pinned him in place as he struggled to suck air into his lungs.

Instead of filling with air, they filled with water....

Laughter still ringing in his ears, he woke suddenly, gasping.  Eyes wide, he bolted upright, clutching the rumpled sheets in his fists, heart racing in his chest.

Drawing his legs up, Ken let out a shaky breath. Closing his eyes, he rested his head upon his knees, his arms locked tightly around his legs.

He felt a cold trickle of sweat trace its way down his back, between his shoulder blades. Slowly he felt the dream-fear dissipating. It had been so real. Something he thought he had forgotten.

Apparently, that was not the case.

He shivered, remembering his father's large, strong hands holding his head firmly beneath the ocean waves. He had been barely four years old at the time it had happened.  Ken recalled his father in shadowy images, his face obscured by his foggy child's memory. He did know he hero worshiped his father, looked up to him as many other little boys often did. Ken loved him with all the force of a child's heart--even after the incident at the beach.

Heart rate finally beginning to slow, Ken shifted to lay on his side, arm sliding under his pillow for support. His throat worked. He remembered swallowing salty water and screaming his head off when Kentaro let him surface. Compared to murky blue, the sun had shone full in his face, almost blinding him. His father had pulled him up by the hair, fingers twisting in the brown strands; yelling at him, telling him to stop crying; to stop being such a baby.

His mother, Saryui, had been screaming too. Yelling for Kentaro to stop, that he was just a child, not a soldier. In the midst of his sputtering water, he remembered her running down the beach in her modest swimsuit and almost tripping in the sand. Half-sobbing and calling his name, she waded into the water.

Ken recalled the smell of the ocean air in her hair, and the warm scent of her skin as she grabbed him away from his father, lifting him from the water and holding him fast against her, his face buried in her neck, sniffling back tears.

Ignoring Kentaro's rebukes about coddling him, Saryui kissed his wet head, and brought him back to their blanket where she dried him off and wrapped him in a clean soft towel. She dried his baby's tears, and turned his face to hers, her blue eyes boring into his.

_"Mommy will never hurt you."_ she told him.

While Kentaro stayed in the water, swimming out to a buoy and back repeatedly, the two of them had a peaceful lunch in the warm bright sun. And when they were finished, they went for a walk along the far end of the beach where Ken exclaimed over the pretty shells and starfish that washed in with the tide, and kicked at the slimy green seaweed that wrapped about his ankles.  He watched the sea foam as it washed over his toes and Saryui told him about the moon and the tides. She helped him collect some shells, which they later put in a jar in his bedroom--a jar that he still had to that day.

Ken didn't realize he was crying again until he felt the salt tears, so much like the ocean, trickle over his nose so he tasted them on his lips.

Why did his father treat him such? Abandon his family? His wife? It had been for duty, it was said. But he didn't understand why. How could you throw away a child's love?

 Did Kentaro hate him that much?

Ken supposed it didn't matter for the man was dead...but..

Did the man ever really love him? His mother? Anyone?

As a child, while he had dreamed of a father he never knew, it had been his mother whom he received love from. Her gentle, kind ways had taught him much and had helped shape the man he became.

A small smile curled his lips, as he wiped away a tear with a finger. Not that she didn't punish him when he deserved it--she did. And he knew she shielded him from most of his father's rages, before he "disappeared".

The day after the beach incident, he vaguely remembered seeing a bruise in the shape of a hand print, on the pale skin of her upper arm and asking his mother where it came from, in a little questioning voice. She only smiled at him, and smoothed his hair out of his eyes, telling him that she tripped on the stairs, and his father grabbed her arm, catching her before she fell.

There was so much he would never know. So much he still didn't understand. He both loved and loathed his father. And he hated himself for it.

His mother fell ill a short while after Kentaro disappeared. It was a terminal illness, long and drawn out over many years. There was nothing he could do, as he watched his mother waste away to nothing.  Saryui tried to be cheerful for his sake, but he could see how much pain she was in towards the end. A lump formed in his throat at the memory, eyes welling with tears once more. She died after waiting  years for her husband to come home, never knowing he was alive.

And there in the dark,  he cried for the father he wanted, but never had; and for his mother, who deserved better.


	13. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #104 - Pudding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because who doesn't love pudding...

Jinpei stirred the pot he was leaning over in the kitchen of the Snack J. Closing his eyes, he inhaled.

_Perfect._ Jinpei thought to himself _. Just perfect._

Double Chocolate Fudge Pudding.

He was saving it for later on that night, when the Scream Channel on TV was going to be running a horror movie marathon. Only he'd have to keep Jun from finding and devouring it, since she loved his chocolate pudding. Hell, she loved anything chocolate. It was like gold to her.

Pushing some aside some half empty Chinese food cartons, and sliding out a pizza box, he made room for the bowl behind a large container of milk. Onechan would never look behind it. It was as good as his.

Whistling to himself, he quickly loaded up the dishwasher and wiped the counter down with a soapy sponge. When he was finished he backed up a few steps and with a practiced flick of the wrist, tossed it in a perfect arc towards the sink, where it landed neatly in the dish-rack.

"Yeah! Two points!" Jinpei hooted, flashing a "V" sign to no one in particular. 

It was still early in the afternoon, so he flung his apron across the back of a chair by the door and flipped up his skateboard into his hand. He had plenty of time to head to the park for awhile before his sister got home from her day at the mall.  He snapped off the light, opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine, and locked it behind him.

***

_A few moments later........._

Joe walked through the front door of the Snack J and frowned. All the lights were out. It was deathly quiet.

"Jun?" he called out, as he dropped a large wrinkled paper bag on top of the bar.

No answer.

"Squirt, are you here?"

Silence.

He pushed his way into the kitchen. He was starving, his stomach rumbling and complaining. There was nothing but dust in the cabinets in his tiny trailer and he didn't feel like running to the grocery store.

Scratching his chest, he made his way over to the fridge. Maybe it was a good thing Jun wasn't here, she'd probably try and make him something.  Like a hamburger that was more like a hockey puck.

His mouth curled up in a smile at the thought. It didn't matter if he told her no, because she'd do it anyway. How he became the one she experimented on with her cooking was beyond him.  Man, he really must've done something in the past to totally piss her off.

Joe opened the freezer, and poked around for a minute or two, shifting boxes of frozen this, and bags of frozen that aside.  But nothing really appealed to him.

With a sigh he yanked open the fridge, and found some leftover sliced roast beef and some cheese.  Shoving a loaf of some kind of artisan bread under his arm and snagging the beef and cheese between his fingers, he flung them towards the kitchen counter while shutting the fridge door with his foot.

He made short work of it, quickly hacking off a large piece of bread and slicing it lengthwise, before stuffing it full of cheese and meat.  Tearing off a hunk of the sandwich with his teeth, he leaned back against the counter and chewed.

Ken and Ryu were supposed to come by the Snack later that night. Jun had begged them to teach her how to play poker, and after a few comments that poker was a "guys" game, they finally relented and gave in to her request.

Besides, Ken was probably broke with no money for food or booze and he himself, had nothing at his place. Playing cards at the Snack was a good idea, Jun would supply them with beer and pizza, and Ryu always bought bags of snacks from the Mini-Mart before coming by. They'd be set for the night.

Brushing crumbs off his shirt, he turned and wiped down the counter with a sponge from the dish-rack, and found he was thirsty.

Peering once more into the fridge, he spied a carton of milk, way in the back. He dragged it out and he almost took a swig from it when he caught sight of something pushed behind it.

Sticking his arm back inside, he hooked the bowl with his fingers, sliding it towards him.

It was a huge bowl of chocolate pudding. It must've been freshly made because it hadn't set yet.

Slowly, a smile worked its way across his face.

_Ah!_ Joe thought to himself, spying the large bowl of chocolate pudding in the back of the fridge. _Perfect! Just perfect._

_Now, where were those glasses_ he wondered, opening cabinets above the stove and looking in the ones beneath the counter. 

 ***

_Much later that evening.....  
_

"According to my tally, " Jun said frowning at the piece of paper in front of her. "You owe me $400 Joe."

"Whhhaaat?" he exclaimed in shock. He had been leaning back in his chair, and legs suddenly came smacking down onto the floor with a thump.

"Ssss'right..." Ken slurred, knocking back another beer. "You owe 'er big time...." He punctuated each word with a tip of his beer bottle in Joe's direction, and almost slid out of his chair.

"Easy there lightweight...." Ryu laughed, shoving Ken upright once more. "I think you've had enough..."

" _I_ owe her big time?" Joe remarked, fixing their leader with a stare. " _How_ big is your tab again...?"

The confused look that crossed Ken's face was comical.

"Oh stop...!" Jun chuckled, tossing her pencil and pad onto the table. She looked over at Ken and gently smacked him on the forehead. "Don't think too hard Ken, you'll hurt yourself."

Ryu got up from his chair, and went over to the jukebox, to select a new round of songs.

Joe frowned at her, eyeing her suspiciously.

"You're a ringer. Aren't you?" he drawled, grey eyes appraising her. "You knew how to play poker already...."

Her eyebrows shot up and her green eyes grew wide with the accusation.

"Me?" she said innocently, batting her eyelashes at him.

Joe groaned, his hands on his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"So," Jun quipped. "Pay me."

"Pay you?" he repeated hollowly. "Jun...I..."

He paused, and then pointed a finger at her.

"Wait right there." he told her, pushing away from the table. "I've got something better than money. Something all girls like...."

A short bark of laughter escaped her lips as Jun watched him walk into the kitchen, wondering just what he was doing. He wasn't gone long, but when he returned, he was frowning again.

"Jun, where did the rest of the glasses from the fridge go?"

"What glasses Joe?" she asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"You know, the pudding filled ones. "he said, jerking his thumb towards the kitchen.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, there are empty shot glasses all over the counter Jun."

"What!?" she cried, bolting up from her seat."There are  empty shot glasses on the kitchen counter?"

"Yeah, I made pudding shots for tonight, when I came by earlier." he laughed at her expression. "Didn't you see them in the fridge?"

"Pudding shots?" she said numbly, walking towards the kitchen door.

"Yeah, you know. Pudding mixed with kahlua and vodka."

"Joe, that's gross...." she remarked, shoving past him.

Joe followed her into the kitchen, and sure enough there were quite a few empty shot glasses on the counter.  Some of them were laying on their sides, others lined up neatly.

"Geez!" Ryu laughed, having pushed open the door behind them. "Wow many did you have Jun?"

"I didn't have any!" she cried, hand pressed flat against her chest. "I didn't know Joe made them, or that they were in the fridge....."

"Well then, who did?" Joe asked her. "Got a ghost in the Snack that we don't know about, Jun?"

"Ummm, guys, where's Jinpei?" Ryu asked, eyes growing wary.

"He wanted to watch a movie marathon upstairs..." Jun said mind racing . "Why..."

Jinpei.

Joe groaned, as Jun sprinted up the stairs to the apartment above the Snack. Ryu followed her, trudging up the stairs and trying to stifle a snicker behind one hand.

 ****

And there they found Jinpei, passed out in front of the TV in his bedroom, while Godzilla stomped on Tokyo in all his technicolor glory, breathing fire.

His face was smeared with chocolate, and a few spots of it streaked his pajama top.

"Jinpei!" Jun cried, shaking him. "Jinpei wake up."

A moan escaped from between his lips, and chocolate laced alcohol breath hit her right in the face.

"Ugh! Jinpei!" she grimaced. "How many of those things did you eat?"

"I don't know..." he murmured. "They were in such small glasses...but they were sooo good..."

Sighing, she stood up.  "Joe, how much alcohol did you put into those things."

He shrugged, and dug into the one he suddenly had in his hand, with a spoon from the table in front of the TV.

"Probably enough to knock out Godzilla." Ryu commented, sinking down into the chair next to Jinpei's bed, eyes glued to the TV screen.

Jun shook her head, staring at Joe. He held out  the spoon to her, eyes laughing, offering a taste.

Reluctantly, she reached out and took it from him. She wryly inspected the blob of pudding on the spoon, before tentatively tasting it with her tongue.

It was then that Joe found himself trying to fend her off, trying to grab the shot glass from his hand.

After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.


	14. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #106 - Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regrets, Joe has them...

Staring into the mirror and checking himself over, Joe cleared his throat, and straightened his tie with a grease grimed hand.

It felt like a noose around his neck and he grimaced.

He hated monkey suits--give him a T-shirt, jeans and a leather jacket any day.

But he had to admit, as he caught his reflection over his shoulder, he did scrub up pretty well.

Well, aside from the grease that had been ground into the knuckles of his right hand, and under his fingernails. No amount of scrubbing would get it out, and he was running late already.

With a sigh, he shrugged into his jacket and grabbed his keys.

Joe stepped out of the trailer and turned slightly to lock the door behind him. It was cold out, and his breath plumed in the air in front of him.

Cursing under his breath, he hastily made his way to the G2 and started the car. While letting it idle, he picked up the flyer that was sitting in the passenger seat, studying it.  The glow of the dashboard lights cast a green tone over the paper.

Shaking his head, he snorted at the rather large woman with long blonde braids and the horned helmet in the advertisement.

He was going to kill Jinpei. The runt won tickets to the opera a few weeks back--how or why he entered a contest to win them was beyond Joe, but Jinpei had promised to take Jun, since she was so fired up to go.

Well, the squirt managed to get himself sick somehow,  and had to beg off. And of course Jun didn't want to go alone, she wanted to drag someone else along with her.

Ken paled at the thought, and he stammered out something about needing to be up early the next morning to take care of a backlog of air deliveries.  As for Ryu, the big guy was suddenly nowhere to be found, only a half eaten burger and the Snack's door closing was left in his wake.

That left him.  He had been lounging in one of the booths, drinking coffee and reading racing magazine,  half listening to the conversation up at the bar. Before he knew it, Ken was gone too, having fled for parts unknown, and Jun turned her big green eyes his way.

Joe tossed the flyer back onto the seat next to him, throwing the G2 into gear.

He just knew he was going to regret this.

Yeah, Jinpei was dead meat.

 


	15. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #107 - Rookie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone makes mistakes....

Joe lay atop the narrow bed in his trailer, arm thrown across his eyes. Why did the sunlight seem so bright? His brain hurt, his eyes hurt. Hell even his _teeth_ hurt.

Stomach gurgling, a moan escaped from between his parched lips as he shifted his weight into a more comfortable position, and shoved his other arm beneath his pillow.

 _Never again_ , he thought ruefully, trying to block out the pounding in his head.

He had gone out drinking with Ken and Ryu the night before at some new bar that had opened a few miles from the marina.  The three of them had sat at the main section of the bar, for hours, their pile of bills whittling down to nothing. Man, for someone who  claimed he wasn't a drinker Ryu could sure pack it away. 

Nevertheless, he had a vague recollection of making it home the night before and spending a large part of it scrunched up on the floor in the bathroom, praying to the white porcelain god, like a rookie after downing his first six pack.

Just how much did he drink anyway? And what did he drink that knocked him on his ass so badly? He hadn't felt this awful in a long time,  probably not since the time he had managed to simultaneously piss off both Jun _and_ Jinpei, and the kid had baked  chocolate chip cookies and left them on the counter at the Snack.

They were _cookies_. Of _course_ he ate them, but found out later on they were laced with chocolate laxative, rather than chocolate chips. So instead of heading off his race at the track, he was racing to his trailer to spend the afternoon and evening locked in its tiny bathroom.

He didn't mention it to them, but realized the next time he came into the Snack, from the look on Jun's face, that they were even, and nothing more would be said.

Unfortunately, Ken also ate some of the cookies, not as many as Joe did, and he lit into them  for their prank, in between stomach cramps. Joe remembered the look on Jinpei's face when Ken threatened him that if he ever did something like that again, he'd make the kid do all his mail deliveries...on his bicycle.

 


	16. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #110 - Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe's best girl....

Joe watched as the driving rain splattered against his windshield.

Gritting his teeth he bowed his head, depressed the clutch, and turned the key in the ignition once more.

He stared at the dashboard, as the engine slowly turned over, then died.

"Dammit...." he muttered under his breath.

With a heavy sigh, he tried again; listening as the engine caught and once more died.

"One last time." he said aloud, left arm propped against the steering wheel.

Joe turned the key in the ignition, the engine fought to catch.

"Come on, baby...." he crooned softly. "Come on....."

The engine made a sputtering noise and roared to life.

A lazy grin spread across his face, as he lay a hand on the dashboard.

"That's my girl!" he said, throwing the car into gear and hitting the gas.


	17. Bradbury's Jar Prompt #115 - Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Joe is hangry....

Joe pushed his sweaty hair out of his eyes with a grimy hand and glanced briefly over his shoulder.

Where was that kid?

He asked Steve what was taking Jamie so long, as he'd been rolling a new tire into the adjacent repair bay, but only got a shrug in response.

He grunted as he leaned further into the engine compartment, disconnecting a hose that had developed a kink.

The waiting was torture.

Joe checked his watch, and pain shot through his stomach, when he heard a commotion from outside.

Craning his head out from under the hood of the G2, he saw a bunch of the other racers and mechanics streaming out of the repair bays. Even Stu came out of the main office, cigar hanging out of his mouth , wearing a beater that had seen better days.

Shoving an oily rag into a back pocket, he wiped his hands on the legs of his jumpsuit--not that it did much good--he probably had gotten them even dirtier.

There was a small crowd gathered around the rusted out light blue Pinto (more like powder blue Joe snorted to himself) and the scrawny kid that climbed out of it. Said kid was hastily handing out items from a cardboard box set on the hood of the car.

About time.

Joe made his way over to the car, squinting at the bright sunlight.  When Jamie saw him approaching he froze. With his nervous eyes and the fact that his blonde hair was sticking up every which way, made him think the kid looked like a frightened rabbit. Either that or he was on drugs.

Joe felt a small pang of regret. Had he really been _that_ grumpy earlier? Maybe Jamie had been intimidated.  Did he mistakenly give the kid a Condor stare? After all he _had_ been starving .....

"Didja get it?" Joe asked him eyeing the box curiously.

"Yes, sir. I got it. Just like you asked."

Excellent.

"You didn't have any trouble finding the place right?"

"N..no . They said they'd put it on your tab."

Even better.

The kid reached into the box, then held out large oblong object wrapped in wax paper.

"Jamie? Jamie, get your ass over here you schmuck!" Stu called from his office. Jamie paled, eyes skittering in the direction of the unhappy Stu.

"Thanks, kid. Appreciate it." Joe nodded, turning away as the kid headed off to see what Stu wanted.

Joe plopped himself down into one of the small battered white plastic chairs that sat outside his bay. He gradually peeled back the wax paper, inhaling the aroma that wafted up from the inside.

Perfect.

"Hey, what's that?" Steve asked curiously as he set his coffee down on the 55 gallon drum on Joe's other side.

"Only _the_ best hot sausage and pepper hero in all of Utoland".

"What?" Steve exclaimed. "I thought Jamie was only making a run to the convenience store for sandwiches."

Joe shrugged, as he took a bite out of his hero and sighed.

There was a benefit to being the Condor, he guessed.


	18. Prompt #116 - Recruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romance at the Snack J !

Jun hustled a plate of sandwiches and sodas over to one of the corner booths, when she glanced at the young woman sitting alone on the other side of the snack. She had come in about 10 minutes earlier, while she had been unloading the dishwasher. As far as Jun knew, the woman hadn't picked up a menu--she only seemed interested in looking out the window.

Not that she could blame her, it was a beautiful day outside--but something was amiss. Cursing herself for giving Jinpei the day off, while she was stuck there alone, Jun dried her hands on her apron and  walked over to the girl.

"Pardon me, but are you alright? Can I get you anything?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." she blushed, looking down into her lap. "I don't mean to be a bother. I'm meeting someone here."

"Oh, I see...." she replied, glancing around the eatery. It was still early for people to be coming in on a Saturday. Since the weather had turned warmer, it seemed most of Utoland wanted to be outside rather than cooped up indoors. The only other patrons she had at the moment were a table of rowdy kids with skateboards that she had brought the sandwiches to and a man in a suit reading a newspaper.

"My name's Maddie." the girl told her shyly, pushing a tendril of long curly blonde hair out of her eyes.  "I met a guy online and I'm supposed to meet him here. I guess you could say we're going on a 'date'."

Imagine, the possibility of a budding romance happening-- right here at the Snack! Jun couldn't believe it. Nothing exciting ever happened here.  Oh, how she wished something similar could happen to her. Why couldn't she meet someone nice? She had a few dates here over the last couple of months, but nothing came of them. The whole thing had become tiresome considering she had been the one doing the asking.  Not to mention that none of them was what she really wanted.

Quickly glancing around the room to make sure she wasn't needed, she sat down in one of the chairs across from the girl.

"What's his name?" Jun asked, leaning back in her chair.

" I don't know his name since I met him through an online dating site." Maddie admitted, blushing again. "We chatted online last week, but he did send me a photo. And he wanted to meet here because he said comes here a lot. Maybe you know him?"

_Now_   Jun was really intrigued, and she was curious as to who it might be. While the Snack was popular, she had only a few  regulars. Many were young kids who stopped by after school, or workers from the nearby businesses.  She had plans to market her eatery to a younger more 'hip' crowd, but hadn't had the time she needed to devote to making it happen.

"Ok," Jun began slowly. "What does he look like?"

"Well... he's tall, dark and.... handsome."

That wasn't too much to go on Jun wanted to tell her, but she wondered who it might be. She had no regulars that she could say were tall, dark and hand....

Wait......it couldn't be Ken or Joe? Could it?

Had one of the two managed to nab a date?

She frowned mentally. While the girl was pretty in a "natural" kind of way, she really didn't seem to be Joe's type. And he really didn't need to recruit girlfriends from an online dating service. They usually found _him_ , and they were usually trouble spelled with a capital "G".

As for Ken, she had no idea what kind of woman he found attractive. She wasn't sure if anyone knew. People had tried to set him up on blind dates before, but you never heard anything about them. God only knows she tried to get his attention to no avail.

"Oh and he had the kindest eyes!" the girl added dreamily, propping her chin up  on one hand.

That definitely left out Joe. While Joe's eyes were a lovely shade of blue-grey, she didn't think they were particularly kind looking. That was, unless he wanted something from you-- and if you were a woman, then those eyes took on the color of and the consistency of dark smoke.  And the look in them wasn't something she'd call kind. No, that sultry look was more like 'hold on for dear life', because you were going for a wild ride. 

"And you said you don't know his name at all?" Jun asked dubiously, tapping her pencil on the order pad laying on the table.

Maddie shook her head, blonde curls bouncing. "Only his user name from the site: flyboy32"

That sealed it.  It must be Ken! Damn him and those gorgeous big blue woman-getting eyes of his! She gasped inwardly--so _that_ was the reason why  he wanted to borrow  Jinpei's laptop  last week. Ken went and joined an online dating site....and landed himself a date.

Jun felt a hot stab of jealousy in the vicinity of her heart, and she began to feel tears well up in her eyes.

At that moment the door chimes jingled as it swung open, the sound of raucous laughter pouring through it.

In walked Ken and Joe, joking around about something or other. The ends of Ken's hair were wet, darkening the collar of his shirt,  like he had just taken a shower. Joe however looked as if he _needed_ one. Jun surmised he had come straight from the track after doing some early laps, for his jeans were dusty and unbeknownst to him, a streak of grease was smeared across his cheekbone. It only added to his usual rakish look.

"Hey Junie!" Joe called causally, taking his usual seat in the corner, and tossing his jacket aside.

As usual, Ken hadn't even turned in her direction, and just slid onto a stool at the bar, and grabbed a menu, studying it.

Jun fumed and grit her teeth. If he was thinking of taking his date out to lunch at the Snack, he better damn well have money to pay for it! He would be getting no freebies from her anymore! Jun was very  tempted to tell the girl about Ken's misgivings, but clamped her lips together. Let the poor thing realize for herself early on that her dreamboat, was a cheapskate!

Maddie had glanced at them briefly as they sat down, and then checked her watch with a sigh.

_What was wrong with her?_ Jun thought crazily. _Why wasn't she moving?_ _Ken was sitting right there reading the lunch menu for God's sake!_

"Well, go on.." Jun whispered, trying talk around the burning lump in her throat.

"Go where?" the girl asked, whispering back.

Jun motioned to the bar where Ken was sitting. She tried not to notice the play of muscles under his form fitting T-shirt,  as he reached for a glass of water across the bar counter.

"There he is....your date..." Jun prodded, growing impatient and just wishing for it all to be over, so she could have a good cry upstairs.

Maddie peered at Ken frowning....

"No...that's not..."

The door to the snack opened again, chimes jangling merrily, and in walked Ryu.

"Hiya Jun!" the Phoenix's pilot said jovially with a wave of his hand.

Then he stopped and stared.

His throat worked as he eyed the girl sitting at the table with her.

The girl squealed to Jun, grabbing her arm in a vice like grip.

"Ooh that's him!"

_What?!_

"MaddieFlower?" Ryu asked eagerly, after he had recovered,  a blush coloring his cheeks.

She jumped up from the table, grabbing her tote bag as she fairly flew across the room.

"flyboy32?"

"That's me!" Ryu beamed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on his heels.

At this point in time, both Ken and Joe had turned around in their seats to watch what was going on. Jun could see the amused smirk on Joe's face and the confusion on Ken's.

"Oh, I'm so glad to meet you!" Maddy  exclaimed, throwing the strap to her tote bag over her shoulder.

Ryu stuck his hand out to her in greeting. "Pleasure is all mine! Name's Ryu."

"You can call me Maddy." she told him, and placed her hand in his, shaking it.

"So, what're you two kids up to today?" Joe asked a hint of laughter in his voice as he watched the interaction before him.

Maddy peeked around Ryu, "Flyboy...oh.... _Ryu_ , is going to take me down to the marina to see his boat..."

"And after a few hours on the water, we're going out to dinner....don't forget." Ryu reminded her. He subsequently looked at his watch. "Hey, we'd better get going. We're probably gonna hit traffic on the way to the marina. Ready to go?"

She nodded and Ryu, still holding her hand, waved a goodbye with the other and headed for the door. Jun watched as he opened it for her, and turned to grin at them.  Joe gave him a thumbs-up before he walked out the door and into the bright sunshine.

"What was _that_ all about?" Ken mused, a slight smile on his face.  "flyboy32?"

He shook his head, chuckling.

"Good for him!" Joe remarked, stretching his legs out with a groan. "Ryu needs to get out more often."

Jun, while happy for Ryu felt oddly relieved. Ken _didn't_ have a date. She picked up her order pad from the table and strode over to the bar.

"So, what'll you two have?"

Ken looked around nervously, and peered into the empty kitchen.  "Errr, Jinpei here today?"

"No" Jun quipped impatiently, tapping her foot.

"I guess that means the oven is 'broken' then, right?" Joe laughed knowingly.

"Got that right. " Jun remarked. "Only cold dishes and sandwiches today."

"Jinpei make any chicken salad last night?" Joe questioned, eyebrow raised.

Jun nodded, the curled ends of her hair brushing her shoulders.

"I'll take that then."

"Oh, that sounds good. Me too, Jun! " Ken told her, sliding a menu back into its holder on the counter.

Jun glared at him from beneath her eyelashes. She moved closer to him fixing him with what she hoped was an hard look.

"Do you have money to pay for it Ken?"

She heard Joe's sharp snort behind her.

Ken shot him a look, but his eyes took on a hint of panic.

"I'm a little short this week Jun....."

"Ken....!"

"Can't you just put it on my tab?"

Then he turned the full force of his blue eyes on her.

"Please???"

Jun sighed.

Damn those big beautiful blue eyes.

 


End file.
